Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Easier to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Light strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Play a carefully chosen ninja each turn, preserve the cards you will need later, and avoid the rising penalty tokens across three compact rounds.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Read the full game description
Meister Makatsu is a precise hand-management game from Reiner Knizia in which every player commands the same twenty-four-card dojo. Cards are numbered one through eight in three suits, but only some of the cards in hand will be played during a round. Everyone reveals simultaneously, and the highest ninja in each represented suit attracts Makatsu’s critical eye and its penalty. Played cards leave the game while unplayed cards return to the deck, so an easy escape now can create an awkward hand later. The three rounds steadily increase the value of mistakes, rewarding players who track what has disappeared, read which colors rivals are protecting, and save low cards for the most dangerous final day. Few rules and simultaneous play keep the pace brisk, while the shared decks make every clever dodge legible around the table.
